Eagles Nest Trail

Saturday was a nice day, so I took the fam out for a day trip to hike a trail at one of our favorite nearby places, Roaring River State Park. This may be the first time I have ever visited the park and not walked around the fish hatchery and beautiful blue spring. It’s also the first time I’ve ever hike the Eagles Nest Trail.

The Eagles Nest Trail is hidden down a short gravel road at the end of a campground in the south part of the park. The sign marked this trail as 2.75 miles but we tracked it at more like 3.75. The trail is pretty strenuous, gaining about 600′ of elevation to a high point on a ridge and looping back down.

In spite of the relatively dry spring we’ve had so far, this little rocky stream did have some water trickling down. I’m sure this would be a very beautiful spot during wetter conditions!

Much of the trail was steep and rocky. Eily tripped a few times but kept on going!

In the steep hilly Ozark forests it’s easy to see where microclimates exist, especially in early spring. Some sheltered pockets had plants and trees that were fully leafed out, where more exposed areas were still completely bare.

Towards the top of the ridge there was a neat area with a lot of large boulders and a small cave under a large limestone alcove. I love trails with caves because the draft of 55 degree air always feels so amazing on a warm day.

Most of the trail went through Oak forest, scattered with Redbud and Dogwood, which stand out this time of year. Towards the top of the ridge there were pockets of cedar and pine forest.

The Eagles Nest trail is very strenuous and lacks any noteworthy destinations, like the Devils Kitchen, Fire Tower, or Deer Leap trails, which is probably why it is less known. However I enjoyed the steep bluffs and rock outcroppings and scenery along the way. It also felt good coming back down after having completed such a significant climb!